Essay on Evidence of Global Warming

Introduction

The greenhouse gases affect the energy balance on earth and climate. The sun is the main energy source, and the incoming sunlight is directly reflected in space. Much of the energy which is absorbed is transformed into heat. Sequentially, the atmosphere tends to absorb besides radiating the heat which is discharges into space. Any disturbances to the balance of the outgoing and incoming energy impact the climate. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere such as methane and water vapor make the earth's surface warmer. Without the greenhouse effect, life cannot be sustained on earth. The addition of more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere ensures there is more effective in the prevention of heat from escaping into space (McGlade et al. 187). Whenever the outgoing energy is more than the incoming energy, the earth warms until there is an establishment of a new balance. The greenhouse gases which are produced from human activities affect the energy balance on earth and the climate. Human beings affect the climate by changing the land surfaces' nature. The climate on earth has been changed towards warming, with carbon dioxide the major contributor. These are proof of climate changes caused by the unfavorable effects of global warming.

Causes of Global Warming

The issue, global warming is a climatic change phenomenon characterized by increment in the earth's average temperature. These changes modify the ecosystems and weather balances in the long run. Global warming is directly connected to the increased greenhouses gases in the atmosphere, which worsens the greenhouse effect. The leading climate scientists in the world claim that human activities are the primary causes of global from the mid-20th century. Using fossil fuels has been the major causes of global warming, including oil, gas and burning coal which produce carbon dioxide. Exploiting the forests has had major effects on climate changes. Trees assist in the regulation of the climate through the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When cutting down, the positive impact is reduced and the carbon is stored in the trees which are later released into the atmosphere. Global warming is also caused by intense farming activities caused by fertilizers, plant protection products, and increasing livestock. Sheep and cattle have produced large methane amounts during the digestion of food, while these fertilizers produce emissions of nitrous oxide (Karl, et al. 1469). The methods of waste management such as incineration and landfills emit toxic and greenhouse gases. These are released into the soil, waterways, and the atmosphere and are major contributions of the greenhouse effect. The present life is highly determined by the metallurgical and mining industry. The minerals and metals are raw materials used in construction, manufacturing, and transportation of goods. From the extraction to the delivery, the market has accounted for 5% of all the emissions of greenhouse gases. Finally, overconsumption has resulted in climate changes. Overconsumption leads to emissions from international freight transport and overexploitation of natural resources.

Effects of Global Warming

Global warming has an effect on biodiversity, oceans, humans and the weather. Increased temperatures and climate upheavals have disturbed the ecosystems, modifying the conditions and cycles of the reproduction of plants. The climate changes and resources scarcity are animals' migratory cycles and changing life habits. There are disappearing species, mostly which have threatened crops and animals. Global warming affects biodiversity by threatening and modifying it. Also, due to global warming, ice and permafrost have massively melted on the poles, which increase at the sea levels at higher rates. When oceans are acidified, there are major concerns. The large CO2 amounts captured in the oceans increases the acidity levels, and this raises questions on the adaptability of coral reefs and seashells. Human beings are not privy to these effects. Changes in the climate also impact the global economy. Already, global warming is affecting health, geopolitical, and social balances in different parts of the universe. New conflicts happen because of scarce resources such as energy and food. The floods and rising sea levels have also caused migrations. By 2050, the approximated refugees due to the climatic changes are 250 million. For long periods of time now, climatologists and meteorologists globally have watched the impacts of global warming on the weather patterns. This impact is very significant, including effects such as heat waves, more droughts, precipitations, and natural disasters. Additionally, they have also estimated that the disrupted habitats such as Alpine meadows and coral reefs possibly drive different animal and plant species to extinction. Farms, cities, and forests will face related troubles such as increased flooding. All these factors will destroy or damage fisheries or agriculture (Karl, et al. 1469).

IPCC Conclusions

To arrive at scientific conclusions on climate changes and the possible solutions, the United Nations (1988) created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). IPCC met weekly to carry out reviews of the latest scientific information and write reports which summarized all facts on global warming. The IPCC found out that there are different greenhouse gases which cause warming. The IPCC also ascertained that human beings emit these gases in different ways. Many of these gases originate from the burning of fossil fuels in buildings, cars, power plants, and factories. Gases which account for most warming are carbon dioxide. Some gases are natural gases, petroleum industries, methane from landfills, and nitrous oxide. Furthermore, IPCC has also identified that the concentrations of greenhouse gases have continued to increase and aerosols have continued to the negative radiations. There are still difficulties in estimating the impact of future emissions. The government representatives play critical roles in IPCC, including taking part in the review processes and arriving at conclusions on the main findings.

Solutions to Global Warming

The first solution to global warming is moving away from fossil fuels and using renewable energies such as geothermal, biomass, wind, and solar. The technologies of renewable energy provide clean energy sources and they have minimal impact on the environment compared to conventional energy technologies. Many of the investments in renewable energy are focused on workmanship and materials in building and maintaining facilities and not the importation of energy. The investments on renewable energy have helped with the creation of jobs and fuelling the domestic economies (Yan, et al. 472). Another solution is water and energy efficiency. The production of clean energy is very important, but the minimization of consumption of water and energy using more effective devices is important and less costly. Sustainable transportation is another means of solving global warming. This means the promotion of public transportation and the mobility of hydrogen and electricity. These can assist with the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide. Additionally, sustainable infrastructure is important for reducing carbon emissions. It is crucial to carry out renovations of the current constructions while also establishing new low energy buildings. Governments have also adopted forest management and sustainable agriculture. Encouraging the better utilization of natural resources, reducing massive deforestation and making agriculture greener and more effective is also another step in solving global warming. Recycling and responsible consumption is also another step towards solving global warming. The adoption of appropriate consumption habits is important in relation to food, cosmetics, and clothing products. Recycling is very important in handling waste materials (Yan, et al. 472).

Work Cited

Karl, Thomas R., et al. "Possible artifacts of data biases in the recent global surface warming hiatus." Science 348.6242 (2015): 1469-1472.

McGlade, Christophe, and Paul Ekins. "The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2 C." Nature 517.7533 (2015): 187.

Yan, XiaoHai, et al. "The global warming hiatus: Slowdown or redistribution?." Earth's Future 4.11 (2016): 472-482.